Gun charger



PQM, 5, W R WEEKS GUN CHARGER Filed April 2l, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HAE Y Y NT@v5 76 78 Z k-K l 33 5 3 45 Invetor:

l 35 4 walter Rweeks,

VV. R. WEEKS GUN CHARGER Feb. 5, w46.

Filed April 2l, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 invent, ort

Walt er R Week l-i i s Attorrwe.

Marleau...

Patented Feb. 5, 1946 GUN CHARGER Walter R. Weeks, Hamden, Conn., assgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 2l, 1944, Serial No, 532,053

5r Claims.

My invention relates to gun chargers, more particularly to mechanism for automatically re charging or reloading a machine gun in the event that it fails to re, and has for its object a simple and reliable mechanism for disabling the gun Charger mechanism after it has operated for a plurality of times.

My present invention is an improvement over thel invention of a copending application Serial No. 447,327, filed by Alexander C. Wall on June 17, 1942, and assigned to the same assignee as this application. The invention of the Wall appli-cation was made prior to my invention and is to be regarded as prior art with respect to this present application.

1n carrying out my invention I provide an electric motor Operating at a substantially constant speed for driving two timer devices for controlling the charger mechanism. One timer device is connected in a high speed 1:1 driving ratio with -a f shaft driven by the electric motor and operates in the event of failure of the gun to lire to effect operation of the charger mechanism. The movable member of this timer is connected to the driving shaft through a` friction coupling and means are provided operated by the firing of the gun for pushing this member back each time the gun fires. Inn the event that the gun fails to fire, the member continues to operate and in a very Vshort predetermined interval of time sets the charging mechanism in operation.

The other timer is driven in a predetermined low speed driving ratio with the motor driven shaft through a special mechanical gearing. The actuating member of this timer also is connected to the driving gearing through a friction coupling, and also is pushed back to a starting position each time the gun fires. In the event that the gun does not nre, the actuating member o-f this timer continues to move and, after a predeter-L mined time interval, is moved far enough to opcrate switching mechanism to disable the charger.

` The actuating member is pushed back to its start.-

ing position manually in order to put the charger back into service.

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which is a plan view 0f charger timing mechanism embodying my invention; Fig, 2 is a side elevation View of the device shown in Fig. l.; Fig. 3 is an end elevation view looking from the left to the right of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a view showing the timer mechanism of Figs. l, 2 and 3 assembled in a complete charger device, some parts of which are shown diagram,- 5

matically; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric control circuits for the charger; Fig. 6 is an enlarged exploded view in perspective of the timer mechanism; Fig. 'l is a diagrammatic View showing details of operation of the gearing; while Fig. 8 is a perspective view of typical firing apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my invention in one form as providing two side metal supporting plates IU and II for supporting, as well as partly enclosing,-the timer mechanism. These two plates are secured together in suitable spaced relation at their left-hand ends by screws I2 and I3 securing the plates to a spacing member I6. Also, the plates are secured together by screws I5 and I6 passing through them. Mounted between the plates is an electric driving motor I1 which is preferably aV suitable direct current type arranged to be operated from a storage battery. This motor carries a worm I8 (Fig. 6) on its shaft which meshes with a worm wheel I9 mounted on substantially the center of a bushing or sleeve 20 constituting a drive shaft. The sleeve 20 is in turn rotatably mounted on a stationary rod 20a extending through the sleeve 2B and having its ends projecting from the ends of the sleeve and mounted rigidly in suitable supports 2l and 22 secured to the side plates Il) and II.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, the sleeve or drive shaft 20 is connected through a friction coupling 23 to a high speed timer control member or arm 24. This friction coupling may consist, as shown in Fig. 3, of two discs or Washers 25 and 26 loosely surrounding the sleeve 20 on the right-hand side of the worm gear I9 and in engagement with opposite sides of a hub portion of the arm 24, this hub portion being provided with an aperture through which the sleeve 20 loosely extends. It will be noted that the por tion of the sleeve 20 on the right-hand side of the worm gear (Fig. 6) has a considerably larger outside diameter as compared with the left-hand portion. Adjacent the ring 26 is a ring 21 which is secured rigidly to the sleeve 2G and adjacent the ring 25 is a ring or disc 2S which is secured to the sleeve against rotation but slidable along the sleeve. These discs and the hub of the arm 24 are compressed tightly together by means of a spring washer 29 mounted between the disc 28 and a washer 3l] bearing against the nut 3l on the sleeve 20. This assembly thus provides a friction clutch between the sleeve 20 and the arm 24.

The purpose of the arm 26 is to operate, by

means of its projection 32 engaging the end of a pivoted operating arm 33, a suitable single pole, double throw snap switch 34 to its circuit closed position, whereby a circuit for the coil is closed by its contacts 34a (Fig. 5) to cause the charger [moves back and engages the lower end of a re'- setting arm 36 having its upper end pivoted on the sleeve 25, whereby the lever or arm 35 is moved back for a predetermined distance in a clockwise direction, .as seen in Fig. 6. f During this movement a resetting latch member 31 carried by the lever 35 engages a projection 38 on the operating arm 24 and moves the arm 24 back in a clockwise direction to a starting position. VIt will be understood that the motor l1 drives the sleeve 24 and the lever 24 in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 6.

For the purpose of disabling the charger after the charger has operated to recharge the gun for a predetermined time interval during which it has recharged the gun a predetermined nulmber of times, I provide a second timer control member or arm 40 similar in shape to the arm 24, which arm is connected through a high ratio speed reducing gearing 4| to the drive sleeve 25 so as to operate at a predetermined lo-w speed. This arm 40 is provided with a projection 42 which is engaged by the resetting latch 31 each time the gun lires, whereby the arm 4|] is returned to a starting position in the same manner Vas the arm 24, However, when the driving means or operating plunger 43 of the charger moves the stud 35 and the breach mechanism of the gunv to the reloading position, the plunger itself engages a lever 44 mounted on a stationary pivot 45 so kthe projection 42 so that the latch when moved back does not reset the arm 40. Thus the arm 40 continues to be driven under these conditions by the motor and eventually an arm 41 forming a part of it operates a lever 48 pivotedfon a stationary pivot 49 and thereby Voperates a single throw, double pole switch 50 of a suitable snap type to disable the charger.v This switch 50 is provided with two pairs of contacts (Fig. 5) normally closed contacts 55a and normally open contacts 58h. When the switch is operated, contacts 55a open to disable the charger while contacts 55h close thereby closing a circuit .for the firing solenoid 13 across the contacts 134h which are now open. Thus by closing the ring switch 88, the ring solenoid can be energizedV for firing of the gun independently of contacts 34h in the event that the gun gets yback into working condition from any cause, such as vibration.

The driving gear 4| comprises an internal gear 5| which is secured lrigidly to a sleeve 52 through which the sleeve 2B extends, the sleeve 52 being mounted on the sleeve for'rotation. Inside Y of this internalgear 5| is a pinion 53 which is somewhat smaller in diameter than the internal gear 5| and is provided with a 'central aperture 54. In this aperture 54 isv an eccentric or cam 55 secured to the sleeve 25.

vAlso secured to the outer side of the pinion 53 are four pins 51, 53, 5S, and 65 which are spaced equal distances apart and lie on a circle concentric with the center of the pinion 53. These pins extend parallel with the shaft 24 each into an enlarged circular recess in the side plate Three of these recesses 6|, 62, and 63 are shown m Fig. l of the drawings, the fourth being shown in Fig. '1. These recesses are equally spaced with respect to each other and are arranged with their centers lyingeon a circle which is concentric with the sleeve 20, and which circle has the same diameter as the circle on which lie the centers oi the pins. The size or diameter of the recesses is just suiiicient to provide for the radial movement of the gear 53 imparted to it by the cam 55 when the sleeve 20 rotates, i. e., the freedom of movement of each pin in its recess is substantially equal to twice the eccentricity of the eccentric or cam 56.V Thus, as the sleeve and cam rotate, the gear 53 is oscillated in its Vown plane but is held against rotation by the engagement of the pins with the walls of the recesses in the side plate Actually each pin moves around the side wall of its recess once each turn' of the sleeve 20.

As the sleeve 29 is turned counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 6, by the motor I1, the eccentric cam 55 tends to turn the pinionr 53 clockwise, but since the pinion is held against rotation by the pins, the Yinternal gear is turned counterclockwise through an angle measured by the number of teeth it has greater than the pinion` In Vother words, in one rotation of the cam the pinion oscillates and returns to its original position but in running over the teeth of the internal gear it has engaged only its own number of internal gear teeth. In a, typical device I have provided an internal gear with forty-eight teeth and a pinion having forty-four teeth. With this combination the internal gear was turned counterclockwise each revolution of the sleeve 25 through an angle represented by four teeth, i. e., of one revolution.

At any instant one or more of the pins is applying a force'suiiciently normal to the wall of its recess to hold the pinion 53 against rotation. Thus, in the four angular positions of the cam 56 with its high point adjacent one of the pins, the two pins on a diameter at right angles with the diameter of the one pin are normal to the walls of their respective recesses. One of these two normal pins tends to move against its wall and thereby holds the pinion from rotation. Fig. '7 isa diagrammatic Vrepresentation showing the relative positions of the pins and recesses for the relative positions of the parts shown in Fig. 6. At this time the high point of the cam 53 is directly adjacent the lowermost pin Ell andthe pinion is in its lowermost position with the pins each in engagement with the lowermost point of the wall of its recess. Since the pinion tends to rotate counterclockwise, the pins 58 and 50 cannot prevent this rotation because their bearing surfaces are tangential with the walls of their recesses. But

the pinsv 51 and 59 are normal to their recess walls,

and since the pin 51 tends to move against its wall, the pin 51 holds the pinion against rotation.

This condition of one pin normal to its recess wall and preventing rotation exists, as pointed o-ut above, for the four positions of the cam with its high point adjacent each of the four pins. For intermediate positions, it will be obvious that two o-r more of the pins are sufliciently normal to their recess walls to prevent rotation of the pinion. For example, when the high point of the cam is half way between the pins 53 andl, the tvv@ pins 51 and 55 will have radii normal tol their recess walls,

Y output velocities.

which radii extend at Ii-degree angles` with the direction in which the pins tend to move. Therefore, these two pins apply components of force to their` recess walls in directions normal to the walls whereby the pins are held against rotation. At this time, the pins 58 and 5S are in corresponding positions with respect to their recess walls but they tendto move away from their walls. This is the position in which the direction of rotation of the pinion is least normal to any one of the recess walls. In other intermediate positions, some one of the pins is more nearly normal to its recess wall in the direction of rotation of the pinion.

This gearing provides a very compact, rugged and lightweight gearing having a high driving ratio, and with a constant ratio giving uniform The gearing is described and claimed in my copending divisional application, Serial No. 591,351, filed May 1, 1945.

The operating arm 40 is mounted by means of a friction clutch 48a similar to the clutch 23 on the sleeve 52 so as to be driven frictionally by the sleeve.

As shown, the arm 36 is made in two parts 64 and 65 which embrace the worm wheel I9 and which are provided with slots 66 and 61 near their lower ends through which the reset latch member 31 extends loosely. The two arms 64 and 85 are joined together to provide a single arm 36 which extends through a slot 68 in the uid cylinder 69 for the piston 43 into the path of the stud 35. It will be understood that the assembled device, as seen in Fig. 4, with the fluid piston 43 and control mechanism, is suitably secured by studs or bolts to one side of the machine gun so that the cocking stud 35 on the machine gun extends through two slots I0 and H extending lengthwise in the cylinder. The piston 43 in the cylinder preferably is operated by a compressed uid such as CO2 gas, the container for which may be connected to an inlet pipe l2 leading to a suitable valve 13 from which the gas is supplied to the cylinder through a duct 14. The valve 13 is normally closed to the gas supply and it is opened to admit compressed gas to the cylinder by energization of the solenoid 15 controlled by the normally open switch contacts 34a.

The ring solenoid 18, when energized, pulls a plunger 'Il (Fig. 8) toward the right hand whereby a pin 18 is moved toward the right hand to a ring position. As shown, the plunger operates two arms i9 on shafts 38 and 8l whereby the shafts are turned. On the lower ends of the shafts 80 and 8l are forked arms 82 and 83 arranged to cooperate respectively with a single projection 84 on the pin 16 and a pair of projections 85 on the pin 78. Thus the arm 83 between the projections of the pair 85 moves the pin 'I8 back and forth while the projection 84 engages the arm 82 when the pin 'I8 is moved to its extreme lef t hand position. This construction provides for reversal of the pin 78 in accordance with the side of the gun on which the charger is mounted. As seen in Fig. 5, when the plunger 18 is in its right-hand ring position. it engages a` latch member 8S. which normally holds the iiring pin 87 and pushes the latch BB to.- ward the right hand thereby to release the firing pin and eiiect firing of the gun. It will be understood that the firing pin 8l and the latch 86 are carried by the movable breech block of the gun. The pin I8 is in such a position that just as the breech block reaches its fully closed position the pin is engaged by the latch and the latch moved to release the firing pin.

Referring further to Fig. 5, the electric circuits of the charger are controlled by a normally open push button 38, a circuit leading from the push button through a normally closed switch 50a and then to three parallel circuits, one leading through the motor I 1, another through the contacts 34h of switch 34 and the coil 18, and a third through contacts 34a of switch 34 and the coil '15. The contacts 58a and 34D are normally closed, as shown.

In the operation of the charger when the gun is to be fired, the gunner pushes the push button 88 to its closed position and holds it closed during the continuance of the ring. Closure of the button 88 energizes the timer motor Il and energizes the coil 1B which moves the stud 18 to its firing position and immediately fires the gun. At the moment of firing, the cooking stud 35 is in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6. During the firing operation it moves toward the left hand to its reloading position and in its movement engages the arm 36 and moves it toward the left to reset the arms 24 and 48, i. e., push them back clockwise, as seen in Fig. 6, to starting positions each time the gun is fired. In the event that the gun fails to fire, which would be caused by a dead cartridge or exhaustion of the supply of cartridges, the cooking stud 35 remains in the ring position of Figs. 4 and 6, and the timer motor then moves the arm 24 to close the switch contacts 34a and energize the coil l5, while at the same time opening the switch contacts 34h to deenergize the coil 1S. The energization of the coil 15 opens the valve 'I3 and admits compressed gas to the cylinder 59 whereby the plunger 43 is caused to move toward the left hand, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6, and thereby move the stud 35 to its fully cocked or reloading position. This movement of the stud 35 of course resets the arm 38, as previously described, and resets the arm 24 whereby the switch 34 is operated to reopen contacts 34a and reclose contacts 34h. The deenergization of the coil 'l5 closes the valve 'E3 thereby to shut oi the supply of gas and also exhaust the gas from the cylinder 59. The plunger 43 is thereupon moved by a spring (not shown) back toward the right to its starting position. This allows the cocking stud and breech mechanism to reclose. During this operation the dead shell is ejected and a fresh shell inserted. This is assuming, of course, that the button 88 has been held depressed in its closed position. When the breech mechanism reaches its closed position the gun is ired, the coil 16 being energized through the reclosing of contacts 34h of switch 3d and the ring stud 'la being in iiring position.

As previously explained, however, the cylinder 43 in advancing engages the lower side of the arm 44 and moves it upward thereby moving upward the reset latch far enough so that it does not engage the lower end 42 of the lever 45. Consequently, the lever 48 is not reset by operation of the charger plunger 43 and, assuming still that the button 88 is closed, the arm 48 is driven` by the motor Il without interruption during a number of operations of the plunger. Assuming that the gun does not rire until after the predetermined time interval, the arm 40 is operated far enough for its projection 4l to engage the arm 48 and open contacts 5ta and close contacts 58h of switch 58. This deencrgizes the motor I1 but reconnects operating coil T3, and also prevents energization of the coil 'l5 whereby the charger is disabled and ring of the gun is prevented until it has been serviced and a fresh supply of ammunition provided if required. In

'true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as newrand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A charging device for an automatic gun provided with a reciprocating cooking member comprising driving means arranged to engage the cooking member of the gun and effect movement thereof from a firing position to a reloading position and back to the firing position, a timer motor, two timer control members connected to be driven by said timer motor respectively at pre.

determined speeds, means operatedrby a flrst of said timer members when moved to a predetermined position for causing operation of saiddriving means, means operated ,by the second of said timer members when moved to a predetermined position for disabling said driving means after a plurality of operations ci said driving means, resetting means arranged to be operated by the cooking member of the gun for moving each of said timer members to a predetermined starting position each time the cockV ing member moves to a reloading position, said timer members being driven at such speeds by said motor that each is reset by the cooking member during normal firing operation of the gun before the respective timer member has been moved to its determined position, and means operated by said driving means for disabling said resetting means for the second of said timer members when said driving means operates to move the cooking member whereupon second timer member moves to its said predetermined position to disable said driving means. Y

2. A charging device for an automatic gun provided with a reciprocating cooking member comprising driving'means provided with a reciprocating operating member arranged to engage the cooking member of the gun and effect movement thereof from a firing position to a reloading position and back to the ring position, a timer motor, two timer control members connected to be driven by said timer motor respectively at predetermined high and low speeds, means operated by said high speed timer member when moved to a predetermined position for causing operation of said driving means, means operated by said low speed timer member when moved to a predetermined position for disabling said driving means after a plurality of operations of said driving means, resetting means arranged to be operated by the cooking member of the gun for moving each of said timer members to a predetermined starting position each time the cooking member moves to a reloading position, said timer members being driven at such speeds by said motor that they are reset by the cooking member during normal firing operation of the gun before reaching said predetermined positions, and means operated by said driving means for disabling said resetting means for said low speed timer member when said driving means operates to move the cooking member whereupon said low speed timer member moves to its said predetermined position to disable said driving means.

3.- A, charging device for an automatic gun provided with a reciprocating cooking member comprising driving means arranged to engage the cookingl member of the gun and eect movement thereof from a firing position to a reloading position and back to the ring position, a timer motor, two timer control members, a slip driving connection between each of said timer members and said timer motor whereby said timer members are driven respectively at predetermined speeds, means operated by a rst of said timer members when moved to Va'predetermined position for causing operation of said driving means, means operated by the second of said timer members when moved to a predetermined position for disablingY said driving means after a plurality of operations of Ysaid driving means, resetting means arranged to be operated by the cooking member of the gun for engaging and moving each of said timer members independently of said timer motor by theV slipping of its said driving connection to a predetermined starting position each time the cooking member moves to a reloading position,

' said timer members being driven at such speeds by said motor that each is reset'by the cooking member during normal ring operation Vof the gun before the Vrespective timer member has been moved to its said predetermined position, and

means operated vby said driving means for disabling said resetting means for the second of said timer members when said driving means operates to movethe cooking member whereuponsaid second timer memberrmoves to its said predetermined position to disable said driving means.

4. A charging device for an automatic gun provided with a reciprocating cooking memberV comyprising driving ,means arranged to engage the cooking member of the gun and elect movement thereof from a firing position to a reloading position and back again, a shaft, a motor connected to drive said shaft, two timer control arms rotatably mounted on said shaft, driving connections between said arms and said shaft for driving Y said arms respectively' at predetermined speeds, means operated by a rst of said arms when turned to a predetermined position for effooting the operation of said driving means, means operated by the second of said arms when turned to a predetermined position for disabling said driving means after a plurality of operations of said driving means, a resetting arm having one end rotatably mounted on said shaft and having its other end extending into the path of movement of thecocking member so as to be moved by the cooking member to a predetermined starting position each time the cooking member moves to a reloading position, a resetting latch member movably mounted on said resetting arm and normally biased to a .position to engage said timer arms and move them to predetermined starting positions each Vtime said resetting arm is moved by the cooking member, said timer arms being driven at such speeds by said motor that they are reset by the cooking member during normal firing operation of the gun before reaching said predetermined positions, and means engaged by said driving means for moving said latch member to a positionv in which it does not engage and reset said second timer arm when said driving means operates to move the cooking lmember whereupon said second timer arm moves to its predetermined position to disable said driving means.

5. A charging device for an automatic gun provided ,with a vreciprocating cookingr member comprising driving means provided with a reciprocating operating member arranged to engage the cooking member of the gun and eiect movement thereof from a firing position to a reloading position and back again, a shaft, an electric motor connected to drive said shaft at a substantially constant speed, two timer control arms rotatably mounted on said shaft, a slip driving connection between one of said arms and said shaft for driving said arm at a high speed, a slip driving connection between the other of said arms and said shaft including a speed reducing gearing for driving said other arm at a low speed, means operated by said high speed arm when turned to a predetermined position for eiecting the operation of said driving means, means operated by said low speed arm when turned to a predetermined position for disabling said driving means after a plurality of operations of said driving means, a resetting arm having one end rotatably mounted on said shaft and having its other end extending into the path of movement of the cooking member so as to be moved by the cooking member to a predetermined starting position each time the cooking member moves to a reloading position, a resetting latch member movably mounted on said resetting arm and normally biased to a position to engage said timer arms and move them through slippage of said driving connections to predetermined starting positions each time said resetting arm is moved by the cooking member, said timer arms being driven at such speeds by said motor that they are reset by the cooking member during normal ring operation of the gun before reaching said predetermined positions, and means engaged by said operating member for moving said latch member to a position in which it does not engage and reset said low speed `timer arm when said drivingy means operates to move the cooking member whereupon said low speed timer arm moves to its predetermined position to disable said driving means.

WALTER R. WEEKS. 

